Overview

Steam Next Fest was a success, although quite stressful. The good news is that I got a ton of feedback from players on Steam, Discord, and elsewhere, and a lot of edge case bugs were fixed.

I never knew that so many keyboards report to the operating system that they are Xbox-branded human interface devices. Crazy.

Based on all that I learned, I think I can solidify the timeline for the game going forward.

Next Fest Results

More Good Things

• A ton of bugs were found and quickly fixed. Thank you very much to those who reported them.
• A ton of interest was shown in the game, both in terms of wishlists and playtime.
• Many ideas on how to fix and improve things were given.

Less Good Things

• I didn’t foresee the diversity of hardware that exists in the real world outside of the soft-launched testers. Some players simply could not launch the game until several hot patches were released.
• I thought the game was fully accessible for those who use accessibility devices and controllers, but from the feedback, I missed a few things.

Updated Timeline

Given the feedback from the demo and the very helpful advice from more experienced developers, along with guidance from people knowledgeable in producing successful games, I think it makes sense to adjust the timeline for the release of the game.

The Q4 2025 date was just unrealistic. Flat out.

Given this, a new plan is needed.

After consideration and reflection on what is best for the game, the plan is this:

1. Release a much more feature-rich and polished demo that can be used in a pitch deck and shows the quality we are aiming for in the game.
2. Consider options on how to fund the game further, whether that be Kickstarter, investment, or working with a publisher.
3. Aim to release the full game in late 2026.

As someone once said: "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad."

Meme or not, I do want to release a game I am proud of.

Conclusion

I am always learning and improving the game and my understanding of the video game industry. Next Fest, and those people who reached out to me, taught me a ton, and the game will be better for it. Exciting times ahead. I now have a ton of feedback to act on.